The United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council seeks to improve people’s lives by mobilizing the caring power of women in our communities. The council has worked since 2004 to energize and inspire women to make a difference – by advocating for issues important to them, taking a leadership role in advancing the United Way’s work, and making a personal financial commitment. The Women’s Leadership Council’s national goals are to develop a powerful voice for women in philanthropy and becoming an engine for growth by raising $100 million nationally by 2008.

The national United Way Women’s Leadership Council will be charged with:

• Energizing and inspiring women to make a difference.
• Energizing and inspiring local United Way leaders to engage in activities that support women’s involvement in the new work of United Way: civic engagement and the development and investment of resources.
• Provide local United Ways with examples of successful initiatives that increase women’s involvement in crafting local human care agendas that are in concert with their own community agenda.
• Accelerating increases in the investments to these agendas by expanding and diversifying United Way’s development efforts and supporting those of others.
• Recognizing all local initiatives, programs, societies, councils, or other efforts, that drive impact through the mobilization of the caring power of women.
• Ensuring the consistency of the brand while allowing for localization.

Attributes of UWA’s national Women’s Leadership Council members include:

• Passion for United Way’s mission and vision.
• Commitment to invest the time required to be an active member.
• Ability and desire to take a system-wide perspective.
• Personal financial commitment to United Way.
• Willingness to ask others to invest in United Way.